Conjunctivitis in Cats

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en-gb" lang="en-gb" xmlns:fb="http://ogp.me/ns/fb#"> <head> <base href="https://www.cathealth.com/cat-health/vision/2625-conjunctivitis-in-cats" /> <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /> <meta name="keywords" content="conjunctivitis in cats, why is my cat's eye red, why is my cat's eye swollen, why is my cat's eye leaking" /> <meta name="author" content="Katie Schlossin" /> <meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow" /> <meta name="description" content="Learn what conjunctivitis in cats is, as well as its causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment." /> <meta name="generator" content="Joomla! - Open Source Content Management" /> <title>Conjunctivitis in Cats</title> <link href="/templates/cathealthj3/favicon.ico" rel="shortcut icon" type="image/vnd.microsoft.icon" /> <style type="text/css"> .fb_iframe_widget {max-width: none;} .fb_iframe_widget_lift {max-width: none;} @media print { .css_buttons0,.css_buttons1,.css_fb_like,.css_fb_share,.css_fb_send,css_fb_photo,.css_twitter,.css_google,.css_google_share,.css_linkedin,.css_pinterest,.css_fb_comments,.css_fb_comments_count { display:none }} </style> <script src="//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.0" type="text/javascript"></script> <script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image" /> <meta property="og:image" content="https://www.cathealth.com/images/conjunctivitis_in_cats.jpg" /> <meta property="og:image:width" content="780" /> <meta property="og:image:height" content="520" /> <meta property="og:image:type" content="image/jpeg" /> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://www.cathealth.com/images/conjunctivitis_in_cats.jpg" /> <meta property="og:title" content="Conjunctivitis in Cats" /> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Conjunctivitis in Cats" /> <meta property="og:description" content="Learn what conjunctivitis in cats is, as well as its causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment." /> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Learn what conjunctivitis in cats is, as well as its causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment." /> <meta name="twitter:site" content="@cathealth" /> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/templates/cathealthj3/css/styles.css" type="text/css" /> </head> <body class="contentpane"><div id='fb-root'></div> <div id="system-message-container"> </div> <div class="item-page ch_item_page"> <h1 class="item-page-title ch_page_title_h1"><a href="/cat-health/vision/2625-conjunctivitis-in-cats">Conjunctivitis in Cats</a></h1> <ul class="button-icons"> <li class="print-icon"> <a href="#" onclick="window.print();return false;"> <img src="/templates/cathealthj3/images/system/printButton.png" alt="Print" /> </a> </li> </ul> <img class="mainimage" src="/images/conjunctivitis_in_cats.jpg" width="450" height="300" alt="Learn more about swollen conjunctiva in cats." title="The conjunctiva protects the eye." />  <p>Conjunctivitis is an extremely common condition in cats. If you have cats, it's highly likely you will have to deal with it at some point. It's good to know what it is and what can cause it.</p> <h2>What Is Conjunctivitis in Cats?</h2> <p>Conjunctivitis is the inflammation of the conjunctiva of the eye. The conjunctiva is a thin mucous membrane that covers the eyes and lines the insides of the eyelids (see the diagram of a healthy feline eye). Its purpose is to secrete mucous that keeps the cornea moist and to protect the eye. Cats have a third eyelid, the nictating membrane, which can come over the eye from the bottom inner portion, and that also has conjunctiva.</p> <h2>What Are the Signs of Feline Conjunctivitis?</h2> <img class="articleimage" src="/images/ch_cat_eye_anatomy.jpg" width="350" height="340" alt="Normal Feline Eye Structures" title="Normal Feline Eye Structures" /> <p>Normally, it's not easy to see the conjunctiva. It's pale and slightly pink. During conjunctivitis, the conjunctiva can become red, swollen, and obvious.</p> <p>A cat with conjunctivitis might have tearing of the eye, may squint, and could rub at the eye. When the conjunctiva of the third eyelid is involved, the eye could be partly covered by the swollen tissue, giving the cat the look of having its eye rolling back (it isn't really doing that).</p> <h2>What Causes Conjunctivitis in Cats?</h2> <p>The most common causes of feline conjunctivitis include:</p> <div class="rightad cright"> <div class="moduletable suggestion_rect banner embeddedrect embbnr"> <div class="bannergroup suggestion_rect banner embeddedrect embbnr"> <div class="banneritem"> <a href="/component/banners/click/74" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" title="Please Can I?"> <img src="https://www.cathealth.com/images/banners/PPrect_please-can-i_300x250.jpg" alt="Please can I have a Purrfect Post?" width="300" height="250" /> </a> <div class="clr"></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <ul> <li>Infections with bacteria, viruses, or fungi, such as those below:</li> <ul> <li>Feline herpesvirus</li> <li>Feline calicivirus</li> <li>Chlamydia</li> <li>Mycoplasma</li> <li><i>Strep</i></li> <li><i>Staph</i></li> </ul> <li>Non-infectious conditions, including the following:</li> <ul> <li>Entropion</li> <li>Trauma</li> <li>Allergies</li> <li>Tumors</li> </ul> </ul> <h2>How Is Feline Conjunctivitis Diagnosed?</h2> <p>Anytime you believe something is going on with your cat's eye, you should make an appointment with a veterinarian. The vet will do a thorough examination of your cat and an ophthalmologic exam of the eyes themselves.</p> <div class="moduletable"> <div class="custom" > <div class="embedded-video" style="width: 454px; margin: 4px 4px 10px 10px;"> <div class="wrap_embedded_vid"> <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/D1FrFzUQ-5k" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> </div> </div> </div> </div> <p>Some other tests your vet might do to determine the source of the problem include a Schirmer tear test to evaluate tear production, an intraocular pressure test to evaluate for <a href="/cat-health/vision/2624-glaucoma-in-cats">glaucoma</a> or <a href="/cat-health/vision/2626-uveitis-in-cats">uveitis</a>, and a stain test to look for corneal ulcers.</p> <p>Your vet may also wish to do other tests to evaluate your cat's general health, such as a fecal test, blood work, or a urinalysis.</p> <h2>What Is the Treatment for Conjunctivitis in Cats?</h2> <p>Treatment of conjunctivitis includes using a topical anti-inflammatory medication (ointment or drops) and anti-bacterial (because bacteria often play a primary or secondary role in conjunctivitis). If there are signs of systemic illness, such as sneezing to indicate allergies or <a href="/cat-health/respiratory/1325-cat-upper-respiratory-tract-conditions">upper respiratory infection</a>, oral medications may also be used.</p> <p>The cat will be observed carefully for their response to the treatment for several days. If at any time, the eye seems worse, a recheck is immediately necessary.</p> <p>If an exact diagnosis is made of an underlying condition, further medications may be required. Feline herpesvirus, a common cause of conjunctivitis, is a virus that is not ever fully eliminated from the body. Those cats may get conjunctivitis flare-ups periodically and need treatment.</p> <div class="moduletable_chbanner cnone tcenter"> <div class="bannergroup_chbanner cnone tcenter"> <div class="banneritem"> <a href="/component/banners/click/14" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" title="Dog Health have a dog"> <img src="https://www.cathealth.com/images/banners/dog_health_have_a_dog_dog_health.jpg" alt="Dog Health have a dog" /> </a> <div class="clr"></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="moduletable ymal_ad"> <div class="bannergroup ymal_ad"> <div class="banneritem"> <a href="/component/banners/click/81" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" title="CH PP Start Them Young"> <img src="https://www.cathealth.com/images/banners/ch_pp_starting_young_360x300.jpg" alt="Train your kitty to scratch what you want them to when they are young." width="360" height="300" /> </a> <div class="clr"></div> </div> </div> </div> <p><b>You May Also Like These Articles:</b></p> <p><a href="/cat-health/vision/2623-eye-problems-in-cats-an-overview">Eye Problems in Cats: An Overview</a></p> <p><a href="/cat-health/vision/2472-eye-infections-in-young-kittens">Eye Infections in Young Kittens</a></p> <p><a href="/cat-health/vision/2624-glaucoma-in-cats">Glaucoma in Cats</a></p> <p><a href="/grooming/eyes-and-ears/2145-eye-cleaning">Eye Cleaning</a></p> <p><a href="/grooming/eyes-and-ears/2148-medicating-eyes">Medicating Eyes</a></p> <div class="moduletable"> <div class="custom" > <div class="disclaimer" style="border-top: 1px dashed #CCC; padding-top: 10px; margin-top: 10px; clear: both;">Disclaimer: This website is not intended to replace professional consultation, diagnosis, or treatment by a licensed veterinarian. <u>If you require any veterinary related advice, contact your veterinarian promptly.</u> Information at CatHealth.com is exclusively of a general reference nature. <u>Do not disregard veterinary advice or delay treatment as a result of accessing information at this site.</u> Just Answer is an external service not affiliated with CatHealth.com. </div></div> </div> </div> </body> </html>

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Conjunctivitis in Cats